Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Bo Nix throws for five touchdowns in Oregon’s huge win over UCLA
Is it time to take Oregon seriously in the wake of their 45-30 over UCLA? Definitely.
Is it time to consider quarterback Bo Nix a Heisman contender in the wake of that same performance? Absolutely.
In a huge Pac-12 matchup between a pair of teams ranked in the top ten, the #10 Ducks rolled to the 15-point victory over the #9 Bruins. In the win, Nix completed 22 of 28 passes for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns, posting an NCAA Passer Rating of 222.4, his third-best mark over his collegiate career and his best since joining Oregon.
Nix’s first touchdown strike came early in the second quarter, breaking a 3-3 tie. After flashing a pump fake to sell the defense on a wide receiver screen, Nix reset his feet and hit tight end Terrance Ferguson with a rocket along the left sideline for the touchdown:
Nix’s next touchdown pass broke another tie, and it was perhaps his best throw of the day. The quarterback comes out of a run fake and goes up top, connecting with wide receiver Troy Franklin on this 49-yard scoring strike to give Oregon a 17-10 lead:
The replay angle of the connection is worth a look:
Following the extra point, perhaps the game’s critical play occurred on the ensuing kickoff.
Oregon called for a surprise onside kick, with kicker Andrew Boyle dribbling the ball off the tee and recovering his own kick, sending Autzen Stadium into a frenzy:
The Ducks would capitalize on the extra possession, putting together an 8-play, 54-yard drive capped off by this touchdown run from Jordan James to extend their lead to 24-10:
While halftime beckoned, Nix and Franklin were not done, The two would link up one more time before the break, on this short touchdown pass as the Ducks increased their lead to 31-13 heading into the locker room:
Oregon executes this spot concept to perfection, with Nix finding Franklin on the out route thanks to some space created by the traffic, and the Ducks are rolling.
As the fourth quarter got underway, the fans at Autzen were shouting, and the Ducks were still in the lead:
And Nix was not done.
The quarterback hit running back Bucky Irving on the wheel route out of the backfield in the fourth quarter, giving him his fifth touchdown pass on the day, and handing Oregon a 45-23 lead:
An interception from safety Bryan Addison in the end zone on UCLA’s ensuing possession effectively ended any chance of a comeback. The Bruins would add one more score, but the Ducks would salt away the game on their final possession.
The victory keeps Oregon on a path towards the conference championship game. The Ducks are the only Pac-12 team left with an unblemished conference record, sitting at 4-0 in the Pac-12, 6-1 overall. That could change, as a date with 5-2 Utah remains on Oregon’s schedule, but that contest, set for November 19th, is at Autzen.
There is also the chance for a rematch in the conference championship game between these two teams. While the loss dropped UCLA to 6-1 overall, and 3-1 in the conference, the Bruins have a number of winnable games left on their schedule. They face 3-4 Stanford next week, followed by 2-5 Arizona State on November 5 and 3-4 Arizona on November 12.
Besides Oregon’s meeting with Utah, the game that will go the longest towards determining who squares off in the Pac-12 Championship might be UCLA’s yearly meeting with USC. That game, set for November 19th, might be huge in the conference, and beyond.
As for Nix, this was the kind of game that Oregon fans were hoping he could deliver. A huge performance in a statement win. Through 7 games, the Auburn transfer has 17 touchdown passes, already eclipsing his best single-season mark in three seasons in the SEC, surpassing the 16 touchdown passes he threw as a freshman in 2019.
He might not be the Heisman frontrunner right now, as Hendon Hooker and C.J. Stroud are likely the names Nix is chasing, but this performance thrusts him right into the conversation. And with Hooker yet to face Georgia and Stroud facing another game against Michigan, Nix’s Heisman stock might continue to rise over the next few weeks.
